President Trump left the NATO summit in Turkey earlier this month aboard the older Air Force One aircraft instead of the newer Boeing 747-8 gifted by Qatar, due to a credible threat from Iran and its allied proxy groups, U.S. officials told CBS News.

Officials revealed that the U.S. detected a credible plot to fire a missile at the presidential plane. The New York Times was the first to report on threats from Iranian proxies.

Trump initially flew to Ankara, Turkey, on the new $400 million Air Force One, which the U.S. accepted from Qatar last year and retrofitted for presidential use. However, for his departure from Turkey to the United Kingdom, he switched to the older Air Force One jet before returning to the U.S. on the newer plane.

This switch raised questions about the security of the new aircraft. CBS News reported that the decision to use the older plane was made at the suggestion of the Secret Service as a precaution amid escalating tensions in the U.S.-Iran conflict.

Sources familiar with the matter told CBS News that the older Air Force One jets are equipped with laser technology designed to blind incoming missiles and employ diversion tactics to misdirect threats.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, "The new Air Force One is perfectly safe for the President's travels, but will receive additional upgrades and enhancements in the fall which will take approximately one month to complete. During that time, the President will fly on the old Air Force One."

As tensions with Iran intensify, President Trump has acknowledged potential threats to his safety, including a recent post on Truth Social referencing 1,000 missiles.

Sources